NO TIME TO DIE. Squid Game
╰┈➤ The Golden Card ( Chapter Three )

NARI NODDED, satisfied. She wore a triumphant smile on her face her emotionless act returning as she met his eyes. Triumphantly, she reached for the money the salesman had been holding. She hasn't felt this glorious in fifteen years. The moment shatters however as he pulls back the money before she could claim her prize, making her look like a fool. Her heart sank. The air around her stills and she's pulled back down to earth.

"What the hell?" She asked. "I flipped your square." Panic filled her voice as she spoke, scanning his face.

He still wore his annoying ass smile.

He walked over to the squares beside them as she spoke, picking them up and running a finger along the paper, his eyes scanning them as if they were suddenly extremely interesting. "You did." He agreed simply. It's all he said for a long while, Nari watching as anger bubbled in her chest. He smiled softly then turned to his suitcase that laid beside Nari. He crouched down and opened it, returning the squares.

He then placed the money in the suitcase beside them.

Nari sighed, unsure whatever else to do, and ran a hand down her face. He face burned at the gesture, the girl wincing. All of that pain for nothing.

She began to pace, watching as the man stood up and refaced her, his suitcase now in hand. Her eyes narrow, fury dancing in the glassiness of her watery and painful eyes.

"You also slapped me." He added, nodding matter-of-factly. He looks at her, watching as her face falls and shoulders slump. Her eyes widen and heart sinks as she realized her mistake. He took 100k off for each slap.

She freezes as she looked at him, then closes her eyes as she regrets her mistake. The girl furrows her brows, pinching bridge of her knows, mentally kicking herself.

"Shit."

She let out a breath and opened her eyes to look at the man again, her expression begging him. For just a second she swore his smile broke. She was wrong.

"One more round?" She asked softly. The three words came out as a broken plea, begging the man before her.

The man shook his head slightly.

"Shit." She said again, this time shouting. She ran a hand through her hair, staring to pace again as the man watched.

How could she be so stupid?

As she paced, dreading her decision, the Salesman took a step closer. He placed a reassuring hand upon her shoulder and she stopped in her tracks. Her heart ached within her chest, and she let out a long, shaky breath and met his eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat, eyes flickering down to his suitcase.

There was so much more than 100k won in there.

She could take it run if she wanted to.

Nari glanced back up to the Salesman to see him looking back. He was watching, but if she was fast enough-

Her thoughts are cut short as he holds up a card.

She raises an eyebrow, glancing between the golden colored card before her and the Saleman. He gestured for her to take it and she did, pinching her fingers around it and plucking it from his grasp.

She looked at it, observing the shapes upon the front.

A circle. A triangle. A square.

She flipped in over, revealing a phone number.

"What is this?" She asked, holding it up. She ran a thumb along it, waiting for a response. Her eyes met the Saleman ones more, watching him and waiting impatiently.

"You may have chosen slapping me over cash, but there are more games. You can earn more money." He said, pointing to the card she clutched to. "Just call that number."

She rose an eyebrow, skeptical, but thought about how close that cash had been. He was serious, she could've gotten her hands on it if she wouldn't have chose slapping him instead.

So Nari nodded. She nodded and slid the card in her pocket.

"Okay." She said softly. "Be expecting a call."

He smiled still, the gesture growing ever so slightly sincere. "Great." He said.

Then he nodded, and was on his way before Nari could say anything else.

( 🪦 )

NARI ran her fingers along the card she clutched to. She let out a sigh and her shoulders fell as she let out the large breath.

She was in her bathroom. The door was closed and the light was blinding. Everything was so overwhelming.

She looked at the card once, the quiet bathroom getting to her. Sweat built on her forehead. She tightened her fingers around the card then slapped it down onto the counter. Her hands gripped the counter top as she groaned.

Oh how she craved a beer.

Still, even fifteen years later - fifteen years of being sober and clean - she craved the taste of alcohol. Her lips quivered.

It was fucking hot in here. And dangerous for her to be alone with her thoughts.

She tightened her hands tighter around the edge of the counter, her knuckles growing a ghostly white at the gesture. She swallowed the lump in her throat again, praying the feeling would for away. The lights seemed blinding and the silence deafening. The only sound was the sound of her breath, heavy and shaky.

Nari looked into the mirror. She was a mess. Her hair was chaotic and her eyes were starved. Her face was thin and hollow, littered with evidence of the game she had played with the salesman.

She needed that money. Bad.

Maybe then she could get a better place to live and leave this life behind. Maybe then she could finally leave her title of the town drunk lying on the floor.

Perhaps even where the Ddakji had once been.

She huffed and quickly turned on the water from the faucet before her. She splashed her face and turned it off just as quickly as she had turned it on. She couldn't waste water but she needed to snap out whatever was going on with her.

She closed her eyes and huffed again. She was back to gripping the counter, trying to get her heartbeat to regulate, her breath to calm down and stop the sweat.

It was too quiet- even with the faint hum of the artificial lighting about her.

She stayed quiet for a moment, then she slowly opened her eyes, looking at the golden card that caught the light from the counter. She swallowed the lump in her throat once more.

She told him to expect a call but she couldn't help but contemplate.

Would she be getting slapped again?

She looked back into the mirror, looking at the busted lip, puffy eye and bruise she had earned from their game.

She didn't even get the money.

So this was her chance.

Nari suddenly grabbed the card on the counter and made to the bathroom door. She left in search of her phone. She soon found the device and quickly unlocked the screen. She hesitated. Yet another sigh escaped her lips as she stared blankly at the bright screen that illuminated her face.

"What's the worst that could happen?" She reassured herself softly.

Then she looked at the back of the golden card and, before she could back out of it, began to dial the number.

She held it to her ear, her heart jumping as the other end answered.

( 🪦 )

IT WAS RAINING. Of course it was.

With her hands in her pockets, Nari stood at the corner of the street. Her heart pounded in her chest as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Her eyes were wide as she watched passing cars, unsure what one would be the one to stop for her.

She rocked on her heels, suddenly regretting her decision. It was dark and cold.

Still no sign of her ride to these games.

Had she been scammed?

However, as she began to have second thoughts, a car pulls up close to her, the breaks squealing as it pulled to a stop.

She froze. Even as the door opened she didn't move.

For some reason she was scared.

Maybe it was because she was getting in a car with a stranger. Maybe it was because she didn't know what lied ahead. Or maybe it was that the driver, which stared back at her, was wearing an odd, red track suit.

His face wore a mask with it.

Nari swallowed the lump in her throat, then finally walked forward. She claimed a seat in the van and watched quietly as the door closed.

She didn't say anything- her heart pounding. Everyone else around her was asleep.

How could they trust a complete stranger enough to fall asleep in their backseat?

At this point, she could practically hear her hear beat.

However, as gasses began to fill the car and her eyelids began to fall, she couldn't hear much of anything.

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